DIG for Saturday the 29th of June…..generation, priesthood, nation, people; a lovely picture of inclusiveness…..1 Peter 2 v 9

As I have been working my way through this verse in DIG recently I’ve had a lovely revelation about how inclusive the Lord is.

This verse talks about us being a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and a peculiar people; each descriptor is a different expression about one single group of people.

This verse is talking about us, as born again believers.

If you are a born again believer you are in this group automatically.

God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10 v 34); He loves everyone and if you accept Jesus and trust in His finished work you are in!

God does not include us through our performance; He does not pick the best team and only include those star performers.

He looks at you and sees the performance of His Son, and because of that you are in the generation, priesthood, nation and people.

God is wonderfully inclusive; true Christianity is different from every religion on earth in that it is about God’s performance (through Jesus Christ) and not about our performance.

We do not have to pray this way or that, eat this food or that, crawl around this temple, wear those clothes or go to a certain place to be in.

We are in because of Jesus and nothing else!

Speak this out today…..”Thank you for the finished work of Jesus Christ, and thank you for all that I now receive because of Him”.

1 Peter 2 v 9…..But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light

DIG for Friday the 28th of June…..what does a peculiar people mean…..1 Peter 2 v 9

This should be an easy description to describe; most people think all Christians are peculiar!

But this phrase has nothing to do with the usual meaning of the English word peculiar.

We are not strange and we are not weird (for me that label belongs to those who do not love the Lord).

The Greek word is peripoiesis and it talks of possession or of personal property.

As a people we belong to someone; we are someone’s personal property.

The good news is that we belong to God; and God loves His personal property.

This phrase is nothing about what we are like, it is about Who loves us and wants us and owns us.

Do you own something that you love with all your heart?

Can I ask you how you look after that thing?

You take care of it and you cherish it; you protect it and value it.

Well, that is how God thinks about you!

He loves you, He cherishes you, He protects you and He values you. You are His!

Speak this out today…..”Thank You Lord that You love me, You value me, You protect me and You cherish me”.

1 Peter 2 v 9…..But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light

DIG for Thursday the 27th of June…..what does a holy nation mean…..1 Peter 2 v 9

You are a member of the royal priesthood and of the chosen generation; you are also part of a holy nation.

You are holy and your brothers and sisters in Christ are also holy; we are all part of this holy nation.

We were made holy the second we were born again, becoming holy is not a process you got through as you do more and more good things and less and less bad things.

Holiness is a state of being, it is not a state of doing!

When you trusted in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour you were created new with a righteous and truly holy spirit (Ephesians 4 v 24).

“Holy” (the Greek word “hagios”) means a most holy thing or a saint; right now you are a saint.

You are no longer a sinner, you are a saint; this is a truth you need to understand and believe, as it is a truth that will help you lead a more holy life.

You do not do good things to become holy, you will do good things because you are holy and you know it.

“Nation” (the Greek word “ethnos”) means group of people, multitude, tribe or nation.

My ethnicity is British, however more importantly my true ethnicity is holiness; I belong to a racial group of people who are all holy.

That wonderful group my friend includes you, if you have trusted in Jesus Christ and His finished work.

You are holy, isn’t that a nice ethnic group to belong to?

Rather than being British or American, black or white, isn’t it nice to all be holy together?

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I have been made holy through the finished work of Jesus Christ”.

1 Peter 2 v 9…..But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light

DIG for Wednesday the 26th of June…..what does a royal priesthood mean…..1 Peter 2 v 9

You are a member of a royal priesthood; what a statement that is.

It is even better when you realise that you have been appointed into God’s royal priesthood.

Royalty and priesthood; but I am just an ordinary member of the church you may say.

The amazing truth is that in the eyes of God every single born again believer is a royal priest.

We are royal in terms of the picture of us being regal and special because of our faith in Jesus.

We are priests in terms of the picture of having access to God and being able to approach God.

Under the old covenant only the priest could go into the holy of holies and have access to God.

Under the new covenant we all have access to God at any time and we can approach Him with boldness whenever we desire (Hebrews 4 v 16).

Under the new covenant, through the finished work of Jesus Christ, we have all been made priests or ministers (2 Corinthians 3 v 6).

Under the new covenant we do not need a priest to speak for us with God, we all have access to the Lord because of Jesus.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that we live under the new covenant; thank you that we are under grace and not under the law”.

1 Peter 2 v 9…..But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light

DIG for Tuesday the 25th of June…..what does a chosen generation mean; is it predestination or universalism…..1 Peter 2 v 9

A chosen generation; so this is a verse about predestination then Vic?

Only the elect or chosen ones picked out by God can enter into His kingdom and eternal presence; is that what this verse is saying Vic?

Well, I don’t think so; however I believe that everyone is chosen.

So you are arguing for universalism now then (everyone is saved), I hear you cry.

No, I am not arguing for that either!

“Chosen generation” simply means chosen family or offspring; God has actually chosen every single man, woman and child who has ever lived to be in His family; He wants to “adopt” everyone as His son or daughter.

God wants everyone to turn from their own way towards Him and receive Jesus as their Lord and Saviour; He wants every person to be saved (2 Peter 3 v 9).

It is God’s will that all are saved; in a sense all have been chosen for salvation

However, God who has given us free will and the freedom of choice; we have to choose to accept His will in our life in order to become part of His “chosen generation”.

We have all been chosen by God (for He is no respecter of persons), but we also have to choose to enter in to His goodness and mercy.

We are a chosen generation in another sense though; we are part of the generation living under the New Covenant.

But we have to accept Jesus Christ and His finished work in order to receive the benefits of living under the New Covenant.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I now live under the grace and mercy of the New Covenant”.

1 Peter 2 v 9…..But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light

DIG for Monday the 24th of June………chosen, royal, priest, holy, peculiar; yes, that’s you…..1 Peter 2 v 9

As I was pondering what to write for DIG today I was drawn to 1 Peter 2 v 9; and as I read it I thought this will probably take about a week to cover in DIG!

This is a wonderful verse, describing the born again believer and his/her mission in life.

This verse is crammed full of encouragement about what and who we are and a challenge about how we live out of that revelation.

We are not of course supposed to be driven by works, however if we get a true revelation of what and who we are in Christ, works will flow naturally from us.

A revelation of Jesus Christ and His finished work, and what this means to you, will help you show Him to a needy world (Philemon 1 v 6); this will help you become more effectual in expressing your faith.

1 Peter 2 v 8 goes a long way to describing what you have become after putting your trust and faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work.

We are a chosen generation, we are a royal priesthood, we are a holy nation, and we are a peculiar people (I especially love that phrase “peculiar people”).

We have been called out of darkness and into God’s light.

We are now to display praises to God because of this.

Over the coming days I will explain what these truths mean.

What does it mean to be a peculiar people?

What does it mean to be chosen; is this an argument for predestination?

What is so great about this light over darkness?

Join with me over the coming days and meditate on this verse, pray over this verse and hear your own revelation from the Holy Spirit. I would love to hear the revelations you are given for this verse.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for your Word; and thank you for its power to be the agent of change in my life”.

1 Peter 2 v 8…..But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light

DIG for Sunday the 23rd of June…..He is sitting; His work is finished…..Hebrews 10 v 12

I love this verse in Hebrews, it just says so much about the mission and work of Jesus Christ.

Jesus came to fulfil the law, and in that way deal with sin; because where there is no law there is no imputing for sin (Romans 5 v 13).

He came to do this once, and once only (read Hebrews 9 and 10).

His blood was perfect and His work so mighty that it dealt with all sin at that one point in time (Ephesians 1 v 7 and Colossians 1 v 14).

All your sin has been dealt with, all my sin has been dealt with, all sin for all men for all time has been dealt with; Jesus paid for it all (1 John 2 v 2).

This is all awesome, however it is not my favourite part of the verse.

The best bit is that Jesus sat down; and I love that.

Jesus sat down because His work was finished; He had no more to do so He sat down.

Everything in the Word is there for a purpose, and we are told He sat down for a reason.

The picture is that His work is done, so He can take a seat. His work is finished!

Jesus has done all He needs to do, in order that we might be reconciled, forgiven and made righteous.

Jesus will come back one day, but not to die on another cross and deal with more sin; that part of His mission is complete.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I am reconciled, forgiven and made righteous through the FINISHED work of Jesus Christ”.

Hebrews 10 v 12…..But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat done on the right hand of God

DIG for Saturday the 22nd of June…..oh no, not again; Paul’s thorn in the flesh; why do I do it….2 Corinthians 12 v 7

I don’t know why I do it; going onto websites and reading about Paul’s thorn on the flesh. It just annoys me.

I think I’m hoping that every now and again I’ll see something other than religious nonsense!

But again I read that God sent Paul some pain and suffering of some sort in order to keep him humble and keep him in his place; what rubbish!

Let’s look at what the scripture actually says and have less of the traditions of man.

The Word says this thorn in the flesh was a messenger of satan, no where does the verse even mention God; so whatever it was, this thorn was from the enemy and not from God.

No where in this passage does it say the thorn was illness or disease, yet that is what is taught widely today.

Religion is so perverse that it can take a scripture like Galatians 6 v 11 (go and read it now) and say that this means Paul had some sort of eye disease.

Taking the thorn as illness or disease is at best a theory and tradition of man (Colossians 2 v 8) and at worst a lie straight from the enemy.

A thorn in the flesh in this context is what we would call a pain in the neck; it is a person being a nuisance and bringing persecution.

Indeed, that is what I believe the thorn in the flesh to be, a person (or people) persecuting Paul, trying to stop him spreading the gospel and revealing the abundance of the revelation that he was having about Jesus and His Kingdom.

Why would God try and stop Paul spreading His Good News?

Why would God send illness and disease to the person that He chose to bring the Good News to the Gentiles?

Only religion could come up with such a perverse explanation as that.

Paul was appointed and anointed by God, and the enemy came against him.

God was for him, the enemy was against him.

In the same way God will never send illness or disease against you, He will never be against you, He will always want and do His best for you.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that you want the best for me, and you have provided this through the finished work of Jesus Christ”.

2 Corinthians 12 v 7…..And lest I be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelation, there was a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure

DIG for Friday the 21st of June…..do not frustrate the grace of God; it is not a good idea…..Galatians 2 v 21

While I was out walking with Nunsy last night our conversation once again came round to righteousness (it seems to a lot these days).

The fact that we are made righteous as a gift through faith because of the finished work of Jesus Christ (instead of our good works and deeds of the law) is a fundamental truth that keeps getting us excited.

Paul’s letter to the people of Galatia is a wonderful explanation of this truth and also a warning for the people not to return to the law, but instead to rest in His righteousness (Galatians 5 v 1).

Galatians 2 v 21 is a very powerful verse, and a verse that should shout out loud to people that trying to make yourself righteous is not only wrong but anti-Christ.

“Frustrate” means to do away with, nullify, reject or refuse.

Paul says he does not do away with, nullify, reject or refuse the grace of God; part of that grace is the good news that man is justified (or rendered righteous) through faith and not the deeds of the law (Romans 3 v 28 and Romans 5 v 1).

So, striving for good works and deeds of the law in order to feel or be accepted by God is frustrating the grace of God.

It is also making the death of Christ a waste of time!

Wow, you may be saying, that is a strong statement Vic.

Yes it is, however that is what the rest of verse 21 is saying; if you say righteousness comes through works (or deeds of the law), then Christ is dead in vain.

In vain means for nought or without a cause.

Is the death of Christ of worth to you, does it mean something, is it important?

You are really saying no to that question if you do not accept righteousness by faith, and strive and work instead.

Like Paul, I will not frustrate the grace of God; what about you?

Speak this out…..”Thank you Lord that I have been made righteous and justified through my faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ”.

Galatians 2 v 21…..I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain

DIG for Thursday the 20th of June……want a ministry like Paul; receive those who come, preach the Kingdom, teach about Jesus, and be bold and fearless…..Acts 28 v 30 and 31

I started quite an ambitious project tonight of working my way through the book of Romans writing verse notes as I go.

However, my eyes were drawn to the closing verses of Acts; what a wonderful piece of advice for any leader in the church, or indeed for any believer.

These two verse are a description of what Paul did for his final two years in Rome.

He received people that came to him; he spoke to and ministered to those who were interested and wanted to listen and who came to him.

He preached on two things and two things only; the Kingdom of God and Jesus Christ.

He preached with confidence; the Greek word here means openly and without concealment, without ambiguity and with fearless confidence, courage, boldness and assurance.

He preached without hinderances from man and he preached freely.

What an example for preachers and teachers (and all believers) today; this has challenged me this evening, and I want to be like Paul.

I want people to speak of me in this way! Do you?

These verse are not just for teachers and preachers, they should be aspirational for all born again believers; to have people coming to you for the Word of Truth, to speak about the Kingdom and of Jesus and to be bold and fearless.

This way of life is possible my friends; the Word says anything is possible through the strength of Jesus in you (Philippians 4 v 13).

Paul had an amazing ministry, reaching most of the known world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

There are not many of us who will reach the dizzy heights of a world wide ministry however we can all have a ministry similar to that of Paul in his final years in Rome; preaching the Kingdom and teaching about Jesus with freedom and boldness to all who come to us.

What a mission (and it is not impossible); do you choose to accept it tonight?

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that you have a ministry for me; the ministry of preaching about the Kingdom and Jesus with boldness and assurance to all who come”.

Acts 28 v 30 and 31….. And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him